Smishing Alert: SMS Scams Are Up 300% — How to Protect Yourself
SMS phishing (smishing) attacks have tripled since 2024. Learn about the most common SMS scam tactics and how to stay safe.
SMS phishing — known as "smishing" — has exploded in recent years. Scammers exploit the trust people place in text messages and the small screen size that makes spotting fake URLs harder.
Why SMS scams are surging
Several factors drive the growth:
- Higher open rates: SMS has a 98% open rate vs. 20% for email
- Shorter URLs: Small screens make it harder to inspect links
- Urgency factor: People treat texts as more immediate than emails
- Less filtering: SMS spam filters are far behind email spam filters
Top SMS scam types in 2026
Package delivery scams
The #1 smishing type worldwide. Fake notifications from postal services (La Poste, Royal Mail, DHL, USPS) claiming a package needs address confirmation or customs payment. These account for over 40% of all SMS scams.
Bank security alerts
"Your card has been blocked due to suspicious activity. Verify here: [link]" — Banks will never send you a link via SMS to verify your identity. Always log in through the official app or website.
Government impersonation
Tax refund scams, social security updates, and health service messages. Government agencies communicate through official portals, not SMS links.
How Luminir protects against smishing
Paste suspicious SMS content into Luminir or take a screenshot for instant AI analysis. Our 8-layer detection pipeline identifies known scam patterns, malicious URLs, and sender impersonation attempts.